Product description

The Byzantine Army was the closest the middle ages came to producing a military superpower. Built on a strong belief system emphasising stealth, surprise, swift manoeuvre and overwhelming force, the "Byzantine infantryman" was trained in survival, sword, spear and archery techniques and also land and sea combat and fighting within the foulkon 'turtle' formation. Timothy Dawson, an expert in the training and techniques of the Byzantine Army, details the everyday experience of the infantryman from his recruitment, through his twice-a-day training regime to his encounters with his enemies. Full-colour artwork richly illustrates their incredible warrior society and gives a real insight into how they lived.

Author information

Dr Timothy Dawson gained his PhD in Classics (Byzantine Studies) in 2003. He has lectured and written extensively on Byzantine, Greek and Roman armies. He is editor of "Medieval History Magazine" and a keen reenactor. Timothy operated Australia's first historical European combat school, "Amyna" (Greek for 'defence'), near Sydney from 1984-87. Since then he has gone on to be internationally recognized as an expert on certain forms of arms and armor. The author lives in Yorkshire, UK.

Review quote

"Timothy Dawson's "Byzantine Infantryman: Eastern Roman Empire" tells of the philosophy and tactics of the early Byzantine Army, surveying daily life of the warrior society." -"The Bookwatch "(December 2007)